


SoulMate

by doitsushine92



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, No Beta, No Plot, Platonic Soulmates, Slice of Life, The Author Regrets Everything, Very Minimal Dialogue, somehow turned into a dream fic, will i ever give markhyuck a break lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-17 21:16:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16981941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doitsushine92/pseuds/doitsushine92
Summary: the red string tied around mark's pinky finger leads to lee donghyuck. his best friend. his soulmate. the loudest, most irritating person he's ever met. the one that always makes him smile, even if he's just made him angry a second ago. the one who holds mark's happiness in his hands. just.the one.





	SoulMate

**Author's Note:**

> ok garden tools listen up i wrote this in one afternoon on a fit of boredom so don't expect too much. this is as far from my best work as it can get lmao but i also kinda like it? idk i'll let you guys be the judge this time ig
> 
> at first it was gonna be about markhyuck being platonic soulmates but you know me so you know what to expect - that is, i don't let them live. ofc i mentioned the summer fight what kind of markhyuck fic would this be if i didn't? and somehow this became about mark's graduation? it gets kinda sad towards the end but it's cool we cool here

the red string tied around mark's pinky finger doesn't lead to a boyfriend or a girlfriend. it doesn't lead to the love of his life - or at least, not in a romantic way, it doesn't. most soulmates aren't like that, either way. 

the red string tied around mark's pinky finger leads to lee donghyuck. his best friend. his soulmate. the loudest, most irritating person he's ever met. the one that always makes him smile, even if he's just made him angry a second ago. the one who holds mark's happiness in his hands. just. 

the one.

~ 

mark remembers clearly the first time he met donghyuck.

he hadn't noticed the thread becoming shorter and tighter around his finger until he was standing right in front of this boy, this boy who had a bright grin and honey skin and the kindest eyes this side of the world.

they were introduced by johnny, the tall american put in charge of mark by the company, and mark can still see it when he closes his eyes, the flicker of understanding in donghyuck's eyes when mark offered his hand for a handshake and the red string came into visibility. johnny left them alone with a promise to give mark a tour later, clapping both their backs with a kind smile and a soft congratulation. 

donghyuck had introduced himself as, "the greatest person you'll ever meet, lee donghyuck," and mark agrees, he was, he is. 

there wasn't much to be done after that, truthfully. mark is thirteen, donghyuck is twelve, and they're trainees at one of the biggest companies in the country - there's simply no time to think about soulmates and what they mean.

but they train together, and they commute together to and fro school, accompanied by jeno and jaemin, two boys donghyuck's age in mark's vocal classes. donghyuck is in another class, the advanced class, but he and mark are in the same dance class, while jeno and jaemin aren't. mark meets jisung almost a full week later, waiting outside of the practice room for jeno, who promised to show him the best place to eat ramen near the building.

jisung was younger than them, only ten years old, but he was already one of the best dancers in the company among the trainees, and he's also got a string that ties him to jaemin, and the older boy absolutely refuses to leave him alone after he found out.

from there, the five stick together. mark doesn't think there's anything easier than his friendship with them, except maybe being with donghyuck.

~

every time they are paired together to do anything for sm rookies, mark thinks the fans will see the thread. it causes him great anxiety to even think about it, because he wants to keep this part of himself to only those closest to him. he doesn't want the whole world to see it. but thankfully, soulmate threads aren't visible on camera, and staff at the mickey mouse club knows better than to say anything, so their secret is safe. still, when they are on the street, mark keeps his hands to himself and donghyuck too, although more reluctantly on his side. 

donghyuck doesn't understand the secrecy. in fact, it bothers him. mark can tell, and he feels terrible, but he's not ready for that kind of exposure. the hyungs, bless their hearts, are always around to act as a buffer between them, and their same aged friends do the same. mark read somewhere that the only way other people can see the thread is if you are in very close proximity to your soulmate and the other person is right there too, since the thread is thin and shimmery, so they're safe for now. all mark has to do is keep his distance and as long as they don't have to do any close-up interactions with fans, it's fine.

they'll be fine.

there are close calls, of course. there are times when fans get too close or mark forgets himself and leans in to whisper something to donghyuck, or donghyuck gets as touchy feely as he likes, but alarms always go off in mark's head before it's too late, and the other rookies step in before the thread does its little appearing act.

and of course, there are times mark wants to say it. announce it. shout it from the rooftop of the sm building. because he may not be in love with donghyuck and donghyuck may not be in love with him, either, but damn they love each other and are so proud of their soulmate and nothing is worse than not being able to tell every person they meet, to be able to brag whenever donghyuck hits that note he struggles with or nails a dance move or whenever mark does literally anything - donghyuck finds everything he does amazing and show stopping, and he said so to him with a straight face and as serious as he could to make sure mark understood he _meant_ it. 

there are times of jealousy, mostly from donghyuck, who can get possessive at times but can't keep mark all to himself due to promotions and it sucks, it sucks that he can't go up to management and demand to be put everywhere with mark because he knows it isn't his place. there are other soulmates in the company, spread across groups and staff positions and executive decisions that can't be together 24/7 and who is donghyuck to ask for special attention? it doesn't stop him from sulking, though. and he sulks so much, whenever he reads those stupid comments pairing mark with whatever rookie girl the netizens feel like that day, because that's _his_ mark hyung. it's not fair. jeno, who's probably the sweetest human being donghyuck has ever met, keeps rubbing the frown on his face with two fingers and telling him to relax, mark only has eyes for you, anyway. donghyuck blushes, every time, for more reasons than one.

~

when management announces nct u's debut, mark panics. he panics, because he's not ready. he doesn't feel ready to debut, to be on the spotlight, to be an idol and it's all too much, too fast, too real. he wants to get out of it, he wants to make them realize that it's a mistake, he's not supposed to debut with the hyungs because he's not worthy, he's not on their level.

but donghyuck sets him straight. they're piled together on mark's dorm bed, the night before they're supposed to move out of the rookies dorm and into the nct dorm and mark can't calm down. he's hyperventilating and his eyes are watery and he's never felt more terrified in his life.

donghyuck is a calming presence next to him, though. he soothes mark in his gentle, nasally voice, still in the mess of puberty and voice cracks, petting mark's back and brushing his hair back with tender fingers. he reassures mark over and over that he's got this, he's mark lee, he can do this, of course he can. and mark believes him, because it's donghyuck, and if he's not going to believe in himself, then at least he's got to believe in donghyuck, as the younger boy points out.

mark is aware that, somewhere in the dorm, johnny is doing the same with taeyong, because taeyong is the only person that comes even close to mark's need for perfection and dedication and taeyong has been a wreck the entire week since they were informed of their debut. ten is with them, just as attached to johnny as mark is to donghyuck, probably trying to coax a smile out of taeyong by reminding him they're debuting together. as for dongyoung and jaehyun, it's hard to tell where they might be. jaehyun has probably migrated to wherever sicheng is, but dongyoung isn't one to seek out his soulmate when he's - feeling however it is he's feeling right now. truth be told, mark hasn't seen much of him in a whole week.

the rookies - that is, the younger kids - burst through the door after mark has successfully calmed down. jaemin, the most affectionate of the bunch, doesn't waste a second before launching himself at mark to smother him in congratulatory kisses and hugs. the other trainees were only informed today - mark is surprised donghyuck withheld from telling their friends for five days. jeno, far calmer than his best friend, pats mark on the back with his signature eye smile and tells him he'll do great. jisung, too, climbs on the bed and settles between donghyuck and mark, pushing donghyuck further towards the ball. donghyuck stares at him with his mouth agape for some full ten seconds before sighing and letting him be.

jaemin says he's got news, too, his eyes twinkling mischievously in the soft glow of the lamp and jeno groans in annoyance as he flops backwards on the bed. as it turns out, jeno met his soulmate today. ("it's that chinese kid in your class, hyuckie." "who? chenle?" "no, the other one. ren - ron - ugh. injun." "renjun?" "yeah, that one!" "oh my god, jeno, he's so cute." "yah, hyung, remember i'm right here." "i know that hyuck, but he is really cute.” “...yeah, he is. totally out of jeno's league, too." "oh, totally." "definitely." "guys, please stop talking about me like i'm not here." "don't worry, hyung, i don't think he's out of your league." "thanks, jisunggie." "kiss ass." "donghyuck!" "sorry.")

~

mark doesn't really have words to describe what debut feels like. he says so to donghyuck when he's asked, and donghyuck stares straight faced at him. mark shrugs, uncomfortable with the way donghyuck is looking at him, but the younger boy relents quickly, offering mark a hug that he falls into exhaustedly. their first stage is over, and they've already returned to the dorms, make up and outfits intact because there was no time to change. donghyuck helps mark take off the layers of make-up, because mark is apparently useless when it comes to these things, leave it to the expert, hyung, and then folds his stage clothes neatly, placing them on top of his drawer for the manager to pick up later. 

he'd planned on giving donghyuck a run through of everything, just like he's been doing since preparations started, but he wasn't counting on this level of tiredness, and he can't do much more than shower, put on his pajamas and fall on his bed. donghyuck, in spite of what their manager recommends, spends the night with him, brushing mark's hair until he falls asleep and even after, right up to the moment he, too, succumbs to the sandman.

months later, when nct 127 debuts, donghyuck freaks out just as badly as mark does, perhaps even more. but this time mark does have the words, and he consoles donghyuck during his crying fit, wiping away the tears with gentle fingers and a soft smile that's reserved only for him. 

and of course, their dream debut, which somehow feels bigger than the other two. mark is a leader now, is in charge of this unit, and he feels more admiration than ever before for taeyong. mark has no idea what he's doing half the time, but they get somewhere.

renjun and chenle aren't as familiar to them as the others. he recalls seeing renjun hanging out a lot with yukhei, mark's same-aged friend from trainee days, and he's seen jisung talking to chenle a few times, but they are still virtual strangers to him. renjun is jeno's soulmate, and rather than make it easier, it's just worse, because they never talk. mark doesn't get it, how jeno has known for months yet never made an attempt to reach out, but it isn't his business. all he has to do is keep the team together, not meddle with soulmate affairs. 

jaemin is kind of an ass sometimes about it, until mark sets him straight one day after practice, and he apologizes to jeno and renjun with his metaphorical tail between his legs. donghyuck seemed proud of mark for stepping up like that, and just that was enough to make mark want to try harder at this whole leader thing. if it's going to make donghyuck look at him like that, he'll be the best leader he possibly can.

however, mark feels like he only did an okay job when jaemin is injured. he does the most he can to reassure jaemin as well as console jisung at night, who looks as lost as he probably feels without jaemin around, and he cries every night for a month. jeno and donghyuck wander around the dorm for days, not quite sure what to do with themselves without their third partner, but if there's one good thing to come out of this is renjun finally, finally leaving his shell and approaching jeno as soulmates, rather than just teammates. donghyuck gives them their space for the most part, although he does demand attention from jeno whenever he gets into one of his moods. 

when my first and last is announced first place, mark hardly believes it. renjun cries, donghyuck cries, jeno cries, and mark sobs in the van. he doesn't remember his speech, doesn't remember their encore stage, and doesn’t remember anything beyond the mc's voice announcing them winners. 

and then there's the thing. their fans call it the "markhyuck summer fight of 2017," which mark finds unfitting. it begins in spring and lasts well into autumn, and it's got nothing to do with clinginess, as much as fans claim. 

they fight because donghyuck confesses to mark he likes jeno, and the knowledge destroys mark. for some reason, he always thought it would be he and donghyuck, that someday they'd fall in love and be together as a couple, but then donghyuck tells him, so softly and hopeful, that he's crushing on jeno, and mark feels like he's been shot in the heart. he hates it, he hates how donghyuck says jeno's name, hates the adoration in his eyes and he hates himself even more because he's incapable of being happy for him. he also hates that renjun isn't the slightest bit interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with jeno, as he made sure to tell his soulmate. renjun is with yukhei, and he hopes to be for a long time. which means jeno is available and most likely in the same page as donghyuck.

mark isn't stupid. he sees it. he knows they are together, one way or another, because all the time they've been spending alone can only mean one thing. mark doesn't yell, doesn't snap at donghyuck, but he's not kind either. he simply nods, says a tight "okay" and gets out of the van. donghyuck doesn't talk to him for a week, and when he does, he calls mark an asshole. mark does yell this time, so does donghyuck, so does dongyoung when he tries to make them calm down - stop yelling, mark, donghyuck, shut up! 

donghyuck crashes at the dream dorm for two months except for when they go overseas, and then he does the best he can to avoid mark. the hyungs don't meddle except for taeyong, but he gives up after a few weeks. if they want to act like children, then he'll treat them like children. it's annoying to be talked to like he's five, but mark is a leo, he's stubborn and hot-headed and won't back down first. and donghyuck is a gemini, of course he's not giving up first either. they're stuck in this never-ending cold war until october.

it's jeno who gets them back on good terms. the boy threatens to lock them in a room if they don't talk, and while usually mark would play the hyung card or the leader card, he can see donghyuck is ready to talk it out, and honestly? so is he. jeno, with his endless kindness and pure-hearted intentions, tell mark he'll break up with donghyuck if that's what he wants, donghyuck will live to tell the tale, but he definitely won't survive losing his soulmate. 

mark isn't sure if it was the offer itself, the look on jeno's face when he spoke the words or the expression of absolute devastation on donghyuck's own face, but mark realizes this isn't what he wants. he thought it was, until it became a probably reality. mark shakes his head adamantly and tells jeno to stop speaking nonsense, then turns his full attention to donghyuck. he apologizes profusely for everything, for treating donghyuck like shit all this time, for not getting his head out of his ass long enough to see that the only thing that matters to him is his soulmate's happiness. donghyuck apologizes too, for not taking into consideration mark' feelings, for letting this go on so long, he just never thought mark would react this way. mark reassures him that he just wants donghyuck to be happy, and he isn't lying when he says he's already genuinely happy for him. he knows he isn't lying when he sees donghyuck light up as jeno puts an arm around his shoulder.

so what if things didn't turn out as mark though they would? they're still good. it's good.

~

2018 proves itself to be a great year for them. all eighteen of them get to promote together at the beginning of the year, with multiple concepts and line ups that mark is somehow in almost all of them. he's only given a reprieve with baby don't stop, but that doesn't mean he's free. he's still working on boss and yestoday and touch and go and black on black. rehearsals start on december, since so many comebacks close together don't give much time to spread out the recordings. mark is exhausted every day, but so is everyone else. donghyuck believes mark has the right to complain a little more than the others, but mark doesn't. they're all working towards the same goal, after all. when they film for go, there's a scene where donghyuck attempts to kiss jeno on camera. mark is surprisingly okay with it. 

and then, they work on we go up. mark has known, they all know, that this would be his last year with dream, and then next year four more would go, then chenle and then jisung, and that one day dream would have none of them, and they would be known as the first generation of nct dream. it doesn't make it any easier, however. 

they write dear dream with everyone shedding tears at one point or another. they record all their songs with every emotion they've got - even dripping, which mark will admit isn't exactly fitting to the rest of the album, but it's a good song, right? when they watch the mv, mark is surprised to see the director included a shot of them huddled together. it wasn't on the script or anything, it was just a moment of team support and mutual strength before filming the choreo, but it fits right in. he also sees himself looking fondly at renjun, which is almost like foreshadowing if they knew who'll be taking his place as leader. mark hopes it is renjun. he'll do an excellent job, better than he did, he's sure.

mark cries when he's left alone to record the last lines of dear dream. he cries when he's on the van on his way back to the dorm, but he doesn't cry in front of his team. he has to stay strong for them, to remain their pillar until his very last day as the dream leader - and after that, too, hopefully. mark wishes they keep seeing him as their leader, their big brother as well as their friend. he loves being the one they seek advice from. 

promotions for we go up fly by, and suddenly mark and donghyuck are back in the 127 dorm. their first night there, mark sneaks into donghyuck's bed, under his covers and buries his face under donghyuck's arm, feeling like a kid all over again. there's a strange feeling in his stomach - it feels like nothing has changed, but at the same time it feels like everything has. mark doesn't know how to describe it, and donghyuck doesn't push it. he lets mark cuddle him until he falls asleep, and then it's donghyuck's turn to be the big spoon - mark loves being the big spoon all the time, so donghyuck never gets the chance unless it's jeno. 

mark wasn't expecting their success in the usa. he wasn't expecting to receive as much attention as they do, but he's thankful and a little freaked, especially with all the wins they get back in korea for regular. donghyuck keeps startling mark awake in the middle of the night to remind him of how many trophies they have so far, his grin wide and unbelieving in the dark. the only thing that's even better than all this? mark gets to experiment it with donghyuck.

simon says breaks records too, even if it doesn't get the same recognition in korea as it does worldwide. mark is a little disappointed - after all, korea is their home. but he can't feel too bad when the news that simon says is topping charts internationally reaches their ears.

and of course, december comes. mark has been dreading this month the entire year, but it's here now, unforgivingly punctual. the dream show is five days long, and it's basically five days of tears from dream members and nctzens alike. when the last concert arrives, mark tries to give his speech, he really does, but he's overwhelmed. he's seen his member cry, cry for him, for a whole week and it's affected him more than he thought. he does his best to deliver some heartfelt words, but he's not satisfied. there are too many eyes on him. and somehow, donghyuck is the one crying the most. on the third day, mark had asked him why, if they'll see each other in 127 either way. ("it's not like i'm leaving nct, hyuckie." "no, but you're leaving dream. that's _our_ unit, hyung.")

after the last concert, mark asks the stylist noonas and their managers to give them some time alone, and after it's only the dream members in the dressing room, mark is able to say it. he tells them how proud he is of all of them, how proud he is to have been their leader and to have been able to work with them for two years. he thanks them for all their hard work, for putting up with his inexperience at the start and for helping him become who he is today. he says so many things, the words spewing from his mouth without his permission until he's rambling and he's crying and he's suddenly smothered in a doggy pile that nearly cuts off his breathing.

donghyuck approaches him later in the night, after everyone has gone to bed. mark didn't want them to see him pack up his things. they still have some days before his official graduation, but the managers wanted him to move permanently into the 127 dorms already. it sucks, in all honesty. but donghyuck doesn't listen to mark when he's told to go to sleep and he helps fold his clothes and put it in neat piles on his suitcase. when they’re done, donghyuck forces mark to sit with him on the bed.

they exchange a few words of encouragement that don't really mean anything. all they need to say, all they need to feel and see, is the little red thread connecting their pinky fingers when they sit together just as much as it does when they're seas apart.

**Author's Note:**

> [ my twitter](https://twitter.com/doitsushine92) where i have a poll in my pinned! please vote if you're interested to read my next fic!!  
> [ my cc](https://curiouscat.me/doitsushine92) so you can leave any hc or ask me anything!


End file.
